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Overview

Tetris® is the puzzle video game that embraces the desire to create order out of chaos. We can apply the concept of creating order out of chaos by using our mind to create and affirm the daily experiences we want to live.

Ever played Tetris for a while? When you’re done, you see shapes everywhere. This is because our brains easily get stuck in repetitious patterns of viewing things. When we are always looking for the negative, we get the negative.

We can retrain our brain to scan for good things, even when faced with the challenges of MS. Instead of creating a pattern that looks for negatives and blocks our wellbeing, flip the switch. Scan the world for opportunities and ideas that allow wellbeing to grow. When our brains scan for and focus on the positive, we benefit from three valuable tools:

Happiness — the more we focus on things that make us happy, the better we feel.

Gratitude — the more opportunities for positivity we see, the more grateful we become.

Optimism — the more our brain picks up on the positive, the more we expect it will continue.

Get started!

Apply the Tetris Effect and increase positivity. Take note of the following:

A negative thought pattern I want to work on and change is:

Gratitude

Practicing gratitude can help you retrain your brain to focus on the positive. Write down three things you are grateful for in your life. These can be anything you appreciate, and want to focus on, for example: a family member/friend, a nice park, or having a warm safe home. Come back to this list often, read it again and add to it.

Now, think of three positive things that happened over the past 24 hours, and write them down. Make a commitment to do this writing practice every day for a week, and then see if you just start to naturally focus on more positives. You might be surprised to feel more hopeful and upbeat. There are always at least several positive things occurring every day, which you can choose to focus on and remember – for example: someone holding the door for us and smiling, talking with a kind friend, listening to beautiful music or seeing a cute animal.

Share your experience with others

Visit the Everyday Matters Group and share three positive things that have happened in the past 24 hours, or three things you’re grateful for.